Farsighted readers of this country life mind blog may remember that today started off with a plan. Viz. Put rod, reel and gun in the rig and head out for action, and that's what happened.
First stop, the Big Pond, hook up for Bass and cast off. I used a pink worm, I don't know why, it just seemed right. Perhaps I thought the sluggish-heat-of-the-afternoon-fish would be stirred up by the shocking pink plastic of the thing.
Whatever the case, it worked, and before too long out came a very decent Bass. Good result, they want the pink worm, so keep it coming. Sure enough, I didn't have to wait long before the hook was set and the line was playing out again. In a big way.
It felt, in my mind, like a Leviathan Bass or a big Catfish, so imagine my surprise when I finally reeled in a turtle, a big one. Both it and the Bass lived to fight again another day.
Then it was time for dove and I joined some of the team, who were merrily shooting down an avian acrobat the size of a Condor. No kidding, it was a huge dove and that got my hopes up. I've entered the Land of the Giant Dove (LGD), I thought to myself. But it was a false peak, the birds weren't flying, though it was fun to look out on the bucolic paradise of Olde Texas in eager expectation.
After an hour or so of that, everyone fell back to HQ for a grillout and fun and you know what? That's what it was, a lot of fun in the countryside, and there's nothing wrong with that, at all.
Your Old Friend,
LSP
9 comments:
Did you catch a snapping turtle or a regular, common, household turtle?
Nothing wrong with a fall back plan.
Was it one of those big alligator turtles? We caught one in NC that was so big all we could do was cut the line.
Glad you all had a great time. ^_^
Those snapping turtles are impressive--back when we were just married, living in Dallas, there was a pond where we'd go on walks and cast our stale bread on the waters. This would bring to the surface shoals of catfish, a few red-eared turtles, and, eventually, one or two snappers would rise from the depths, their heads the size of my fist. Amazing, formidable beasts.
I'm happy to report that the hunting has proven good in Apacheria. The mourning doves did indeed turn out in force. We set up in a spot not far from a favorite ambush site of the Apaches--also the site of possibly the westernmost skirmish in the 1861-65 war--and, annoyingly, now a favored and sometimes bloodied corridor for the unlicensed pharmaceuticals traders, over which land the concerned local sheriff has said the government no longer has operational control. Everybody got at least one (mourning dove, not unlicensed pharmacist)--though the sometimes-literally-impenetrable mesquite brush seems to have frustrated some efforts at game retrieval. Even our ten-year-old first-timer got one, nearly at sunset, with a little .410 snake gun. So: looks like the jalapenos will not lead an unfulfilled existence after all!
I'm not a turtle expert, LL, but this one sure snapped my worm to pieces. I think it was a common snapper.
It was an alligator turtle, Linda, but it sure put up a fight. Next time I'm tempted to keep one and eat it. I've never cleaned/cooked a turtle before.
Congrats on the hunt, Anonymous. That sounds like a great place to set up -- the birds aren't flying here to any great extent, though opening day wasn't too bad.
Enjoy those poppers!
Excellent! We got enough to cook in earnest. Marinated the dove meat overnight in red wine/minced garlic/bouillon/salt/pepper/oil/Worchestershire sauce, then cooked in accordance with LSP's recipe, jalapenos carefully bisected by the avid-huntress daughter with a 10-inch Bowie knife, and grilled over mesquite twigs. (Tip: one mesquite tree will keep a family of 9 furnished with enough fuel indefinitely if you regularly trim and dry little twigs as they overgrow. These are most efficiently stored and used by bundling them into 9-inch bundles with cotton string. The old term having apparently become politically incorrect, we bow to cultural pressure and refer to these as "loosely girded bundles of twigs", or "LGBTs"--which we understand to be the term currently in vogue for this form of fuel.) Anyway, one LGBT sufficed to cook 8 of these poppers to a turn. By unanimous consensus, this is a most excellent recipe! Will repeat, ASAP--God willing.
Anonymous, I laughed out loud at your modern adaptation for a stick bundle. Very clever.
Anonymous, what a sensible way to use our ubiquitous Mesquite LGBTs! Thanks for the tip and glad the poppers worked out.
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